Santa Apolonia - Water System

Guatemala 

 

Santa Maria de Guadalupe Orphanage is home to 76 children ranging from infancy to the age of 21 as well as numerous volunteers. In addition to attending a school in town, the children are taught various skills including carpentry, agriculture, tailoring, and shoe-making. Approximately half of the children are true orphans while the other half are orphaned due to lack of sufficient income for their families to care for them.

 

The original water system at the orphanage consisted of a “clear-grey-black”water system run from the local utility power grid. This system was unreliable, costly, and did not provide safe drinking water. Phase 1 was completed in March 2006 and focused on the installation of a solar powered water pump dedicated to the clear water system. The system is comprised of 2 solar panels and a positive displacement DC water pump. The system was installed in parallel to the existing AC pump allowing a seamless transition from DC power (day) to AC grid power (night) and providing a reliable water system.

 

Phase 2 was completed in March 2007 and focused on the grey water system and water quality. The system added a solar panel to the clear water system and 3 additional panels were installed with a DC water pump for the grey water system. The grey water system, like the clear water, was installed in parallel to the AC system. Additionally, water testing was completed and determined that the water was safe to drink after the new filtration steps.